Balance is easy to take for granted, but it’s so essential to our ability to be engaged, active and independent in our daily lives. It helps you do everything from going to the grocery store to playing with your grandchildren and enjoying a walk with your spouse through Dakota Dunes Trail.
If you have untreated hearing loss, you may be at a higher risk of developing balance issues, which makes you more vulnerable to falls.
How Balance and Hearing Are Connected
Your hearing doesn’t have to be severe for it to impact your balance. Research has found that even mild hearing loss can triple a person’s risk of an accidental fall. This risk increases by 140% for every additional 10 decibels of hearing loss.
There are a few different reasons why having hearing loss can also cause problems with your balance, including:
- The inner ear plays a crucial role in both hearing and balance. The damage to the inner ear that occurs in sensorineural hearing loss may cause vestibular issues that upset your balance.
- Hearing loss can impair your awareness. Not hearing as well as you used to can leave you feeling more disoriented and can potentially make tripping and/or falling more likely.
- Hearing loss zaps your mental energy. Hearing loss makes it so you have to work harder to process sound. All this extra effort can lead to cognitive overload and impact your brain’s ability to put the needed amount of focus on other things, such as maintaining balance and gait.
The Dangers of Falls For Older Individuals
Hearing loss becomes more common with age, and unfortunately, balance issues and potential injuries from falls become a bigger risk for older individuals as well. This is because older people tend to have fragile bones and are prone to more serious injuries when they do fall, such as a broken hip.
Treating Hearing Loss
The best way to prevent balance issues caused by hearing loss from developing is by treating any hearing loss as early as possible. If you have noticed that you are needing people to repeat themselves more frequently or that you’re turning the volume up louder on the TV than you used to, schedule an appointment for a hearing test.
If you have hearing loss, your audiologist will most likely recommend hearing aids. Not only do they make it easier for you to process speech and sound, but they can help you feel more oriented and balanced as well.
For additional information or to schedule an appointment, contact Ear, Nose & Throat Consultants today.